This 15 km long and narrow county along the northern shoreline of the Reykjanes peninsula derives its name from the many cold springs near the sea. This fresh water runs in great volume underneath the lava fields from the mountains. In the past, people lived there in clusters of small farms or individual ones near the best natural harbours, when open rowboats were used for the fisheries.

The village Vogar started developing early in the 20th century, when better and larger harbours for the larger fishing vessels were needed. Around the turn of the 19th century the number of inhabitants in Vogar was greater than in the neighbouring villages, Keflavik and Grindavik together.